WRAPradio Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 *edit -- formatting sucks, interesting read though Interesting topic on ESPN.com. Says the Bengals are 8 average-above average players away from the Superbowl; which is 13th in the league. Main article: http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12179331/how-many-players-away-super-bowl-team BREAKING DOWN THE ROSTER To be considered a Super Bowl contender, 40 percent of the players who took part in at least 250 snaps (varies by team) have to be rated as good or elite. Here's how Pro Football Focus evaluated each of the Bengals' 28 qualifying players.* Elite Good Average Bad 1 OT Andrew Whitworth NFL Average: 2 3 G Kevin Zeitler WR A.J. Green S George Iloka NFL Average: 4.3 21 DE Carlos Dunlap S Reggie Nelson DT Geno Atkins G Clint Boling G Mike Pollak FB Ryan Hewitt WR Brandon Tate RB Jeremy Hill CB Adam Jones ILB Rey Maualuga CB Leon Hall CB Terence Newman OT Andre Smith TE Jermaine Gresham QB Andy Dalton RB Giovani Bernard OT Marshall Newhouse OLB Vincent Rey DE Wallace Gilberry C Russell Bodine WR Mohamed Sanu NFL Average: 21 3 OLB Emmanuel Lamur DT Domata Peko DE Robert Geathers NFL Average: 5.8 *Pro Football Focus uses its proprietary metrics to evaluate every player on every snap in every game. OT Andrew Whitworth: If you were to choose only one elite player on the Bengals' roster, Whitworth would be it. Often this season, opposing players and coaches came up to Whitworth after games to tell him they thought he was among the best tackles in the league. The metrics back that up: According to PFF, Whitworth didn't allow a single sack all season, and was the only tackle out of 54 qualifiers to allow fewer than 10 QB pressures. His pass-blocking efficiency (98.7) was better than Joe Thomas (97.6), who made first-team All-Pro. Amazingly, Whitworth didn't even make the Pro Bowl. G Kevin Zeitler: Remember the Bengals' Week 15 game at Cleveland, when they rushed for a season-high 244 yards and won by 30? That was the best run-blocking performance of Zeitler's young career, according to PFF, but it never would've been possible had he let two separate calf injuries derail his season. That kind of toughness is why coaches and teammates were effusive in their praise of Zeitler throughout the year. It didn't hurt, either, that he proved to be an elite pass-blocker, registering the fifth-highest pass-blocking efficiency rating among guards, per PFF. WR A.J. Green: He finished with the fewest yards (1,041) and second-fewest catches (69) of his career, thanks to a foot injury that held him out of nearly four games. The highlight of Green's season came from Weeks 11-14, when he lit up secondaries for 33 catches, 529 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers are nearly identical to what he produced in his other nine games (36-512-3), as Green had a wholly average season. S George Iloka: When evaluating Iloka, you have to all but ignore his tackle numbers (74, fourth on the team). He plays deep safety in the Bengals' scheme, so the team certainly doesn't want him making too many plays in the run game. Where Iloka makes his mark is vs. the pass. According to PFF, he allowed a 39 percent catch rate and 18.4 quarterback rating when thrown at, both of which were the best among 59 qualified safeties. If he's not elite yet, the 2012 fifth-rounder will be soon. DT Geno Atkins: If you're looking for an accurate description of Atkins' play, look no further than defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who said Atkins was "just a guy out there" in 2014. Playing in his first season following ACL surgery, the once-elite pass rusher registered a 6.7 pressure percentage, which ranked 22nd overall. From 2010-13, Atkins ranked second, fourth, first and fourth in that metric. Yes, by Atkins' standards, he was downright bad this season. RB Jeremy Hill: One of five players up for rookie of the year, Hill was grossly underutilized by his coaches early on in the season. The rookie played just 29 percent of the offense's snaps through seven weeks. That number doubled over the next nine games, during which Hill led the league in rushing with 929 yards. He could've had an elite season if the Bengals hadn't chosen to bring him along so slowly. But even still, Hill deserved better than an average grade. Consider: His 5.1 yards per carry were the most by a rookie RB since Adrian Peterson's 2007 season (5.6). DT Domata Peko: According to PFF, Peko ranked dead last among qualifying defensive tackles with a 1.7 pressure percentage. Let me translate that for you: Quarterbacks hardly ever knew Peko was on the field when they dropped back to pass. He wasn't much better vs. the run, finishing 31st out of 48 qualified DTs with a 6.3 run-stop percentage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I just hope we make the playoffs next year. The way Andy played In the PB last night, I am worried we don't make it to the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 If we are able to stay healthy next year, and a couple guys return to form, we are 1 player away. Unfortunately I don't think that one changes. But he MUST improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeds Orange Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Talent-wise, with the exception of the quarterback position, the Bengals are as close as any other AFC team (when reasonably healthy). That's not to say they don't have holes, but what team doesn't? Psychologically, they are light years away, and there is no hope for a Super Bowl until that is changed. Even the vaunted 2005 team, talented as it was, was undisciplined and psychologically fragile. Every Marvin Lewis team has been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Superbowl?!? Superbowl?!?! Don't talk to me about the Superbowl, I just hope we can win a playoff game!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I honestly think this version of good Bengals team is done. 4 year run ain't bad. Defense is going downhill, Burfict is done at worst, marginal starter at best. The rest of the younger guys are all horribly average at best. Offense is 2 dimensional,,,stop running game, cover AJ and make Andy Dalton beat you...which he cant. Unless we roll the dice in FA, we are on the way back down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 We will still make the playoffs next year imo, schedule isnt that hard. Winning a game in them? Questionable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 We will still make the playoffs next year imo, schedule isnt that hard. Winning a game in them? Questionable. I disagree. The Ravens and Stealers are on the upswing, we are not. I don't see us going any better than .500 in the division. We simply won't win enough games for a wild card spot and we won't win the division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I disagree. The Ravens and Stealers are on the upswing, we are not. I don't see us going any better than .500 in the division. We simply won't win enough games for a wild card spot and we won't win the division. We beat the Ravens both times this past season, so even if we lose one and both to the Steelers again I see it like this.... Home - Baltimore - W, Cleveland - W (Johnny FootTall is going to struggle imo), Pittsburgh - L, Kansas City - W (could go either way though), San Diego - W (only because it's a home game), St. Louis - W, Seattle - L, Houston - W Away - Baltimore - L, Cleveland - W, Pittsburgh - L, Denver - L, Oakland - W, Arizona - L, San Francisco - L, Buffalo - W Puts us at 9-7, right on the edge usually, finding one more game in there shouldnt be too hard I would think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I honestly think this version of good Bengals team is done. 4 year run ain't bad. Defense is going downhill, Burfict is done at worst, marginal starter at best. The rest of the younger guys are all horribly average at best. Offense is 2 dimensional,,,stop running game, cover AJ and make Andy Dalton beat you...which he cant. Unless we roll the dice in FA, we are on the way back down. I disagree. The Ravens and Stealers are on the upswing, we are not. I don't see us going any better than .500 in the division. We simply won't win enough games for a wild card spot and we won't win the division. One hates to be a downer but I agree with you all the way around. Age and injuries not improving. I am pretty much writing off Burfict and Atkins. Andy is Andy and I do not see him getting any better. Interesting the article called a spade a spade with Gio Bernard... one dimensional and as likely to be shut down as go all the way and often that on a broken play. Seeing him little more than a tackling dummy in the first Browns game because they knew what was coming was brutal. And telling. AJ Green is like a race horse. Fantastic athlete but high strung and flakey. I simply do not see him as bonded with the team. Marvin... apparently this will be the swan song for a lame duck. Effort seems to be being made to keep the assistants in tack for an in house replacement. Kind of a football epiphany for me ... I watch very little college football (other pro games, either) but I did watch Ohio State and Oregon. And thought... wow... that's what it SHOULD look like. Both coaches were totally immersed and involved with the game... complete focus and in control of the players and strategies/counters constantly. Marv can't even make adjustments at half time and never has. Oregon's field goal and extra point teams came out and lined up in configurations to go for it if OSU was not ready and shifted back into a kicking formation if they were. I am impressed if we can even get 11 men on the field. Like you said, the Ravens and Steelers are on the upswing and we are not. Cleveland even beat us by outcoaching the first game. If they were not a complete cluster fuck with Manzel and Gordon et al, they would not be push overs. But I see third place in the division next year. Marvin gone and rebuilding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 We beat the Ravens both times this past season, so even if we lose one and both to the Steelers again I see it like this.... Home - Baltimore - W, Cleveland - W (Johnny FootTall is going to struggle imo), Pittsburgh - L, Kansas City - W (could go either way though), San Diego - W (only because it's a home game), St. Louis - W, Seattle - L, Houston - W Away - Baltimore - L, Cleveland - W, Pittsburgh - L, Denver - L, Oakland - W, Arizona - L, San Francisco - L, Buffalo - W Puts us at 9-7, right on the edge usually, finding one more game in there shouldnt be too hard I would think. 9 wins didn't get any team a wild card birth this year. Our defense is getting old and going downhill. Start telling me the young guys who are going to step up...you cant. Ravens and Stealers will both be better than last year, we wont. The mythical players on offense some keep referring to are just that...myths like Kenny Irons, Jerome Simpson and Chase Coffman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBandJoeyV Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I'd be surprised if our offense wasn't significantly better next year. Unless we get decimated by injuries again. And that's if Dalton doesnt even improve much. Our pass offense should improve just with guys getting healthy. Even if we don't throw as many yards and Tds as we did in 2013, it should still be better than 2014. No reason our running game shouldn't keep improving now that hill is the go to guy. Now I'm concerned about how they will do in the playoffs but not that concerned about regular season if we stay healthy. More worried about the D especially it burfict isn't healthy: need geno to get closer to full strength and need to fill holes in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|kennethmw| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I'd be surprised if our offense wasn't significantly better next year. Unless we get decimated by injuries again. And that's if Dalton doesnt even improve much. Our pass offense should improve just with guys getting healthy. Even if we don't throw as many yards and Tds as we did in 2013, it should still be better than 2014. No reason our running game shouldn't keep improving now that hill is the go to guy. Now I'm concerned about how they will do in the playoffs but not that concerned about regular season if we stay healthy. More worried about the D especially it burfict isn't healthy: need geno to get closer to full strength and need to fill holes in the draft. Come on now, thinking logically doesn't fuel the Whaaaaambulance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khatmandude Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 How close are we to the Superbowl? Cincinnati is in OH and the Superbowl is in Glendale, AZ so that would make us approx 1900 miles away from the Superbowl. It seems even further when you consider that Andy Dalton will be driving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Come on now, thinking logically doesn't fuel the Whaaaaambulance. Yeah well keep pretending our defense will be better next year. I don't see it. Also, let's pretend Tyler Eifert will be way better than Gresham (who will be gone) and the Andre Smith and Whitworth will be better going forward. Oh and Marvin Jones a year removed from football will fit right into Hue's offense. I don't see the team being better, borderline Wildcard team just like last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 5 out of 6 peat T-shirts here! It's not a shocking statement to say they'll be in the playoffs for 2015. How close are they? Reality is Reality. Marvin/Dalton combo in the AFC North has not performed to a level during the regular season to get a top seed. So that's 3 games away from the Superbowl with 2 being on the road. Patriots have been to the last 4 AFC Championship games. Don't know what will happen with Denver, but I susupect Peyton gives it 1 more try, I guess. Colts with Luck in that division are factor and have a ton of cap room. The number of players away is a few when you factor what you have to beat in order to get to the Superbowl. However, not impossible. Denver and Cleveland dominated the AFC back in the mid 80s. Buffalo dominated the AFC in the early 90s. 88 Bengals took one shot and punched the ticket to the AFC Championship and Superbowl. Not sure/Can't remember what happened to Denver in 88. They went to the Superbowl in 86, 87, 89 beating Cleveland all 3 times. Cleveland had a bunch of Qb injuries in 88. Buffalo suffered a huge injury to Bruce Smith against the Bengals and suffered a huge personal foul in the AFC Championship game against the Bengals. Buffalo also had a bad late season home loss that screwed them out of the No. 1 seed making the Jungle the road to Miami that year. Out of all those Superbowls in that time frame Cincinnati was the closest to haning a Championship from the conference against probably what was the Best dynasty in the NFL ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Microfracture surgery for Burfict is bad news for the Defense. It is hit or miss on the recovery and that player ever coming back to the same level. Burfict was the type of LB that could have been Defensive MVP material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBandJoeyV Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Yeah well keep pretending our defense will be better next year. I don't see it. Also, let's pretend Tyler Eifert will be way better than Gresham (who will be gone) and the Andre Smith and Whitworth will be better going forward. Oh and Marvin Jones a year removed from football will fit right into Hue's offense. I don't see the team being better, borderline Wildcard team just like last year. I just don't think anyone on offense (or even defense) really played to their best level. Breaking down the O... Passing game- I just don't see any way the passing offense is worse than last year unless we get demolished by injuries again. You had your top target missing a third or more of the year, number 2 guy all yeat, and your potential top Te and 3/4th target missing all year. I just don't see that happening again. And I think they go out and get some better depth in case that does. Id be willing to bet good money our passing O is better next year than in 2013. Run game- if hill stays healthy our run game should be better too. Once we went to hill as the number one guy our run game was one of the best in the league. Oline- whit you could say probably won't be better in 2015 than he was in 2014, but the rest of the line should improve. Bodine will be better with more experience. Oline played pretty well though so I guess that is the only part that could regress but I don't think it will. Once again none of this means we are gonna win a playoff game, just that our o should be better in 2015 than in 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Microfracture surgery for Burfict is bad news for the Defense. It is hit or miss on the recovery and that player every coming back to the same level. Burfict was the type of LB that could have been Defensive MVP material. I don't know the answer to this question but when has someone ever returned to form from this procedure? Guys have returned but never the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 9 wins didn't get any team a wild card birth this year. Our defense is getting old and going downhill. Start telling me the young guys who are going to step up...you cant. Ravens and Stealers will both be better than last year, we wont. The mythical players on offense some keep referring to are just that...myths like Kenny Irons, Jerome Simpson and Chase Coffman. Outside of Peko, and Newman our defense isnt really THAT old, and I thought Dre K played well enough in Newmans place, I also like Illoka. As far as Geno and Taz, way to early to tell if they will be the same or not and I agree if they are not it does impact the D, but even so the D is still decent enough to win without them. I also dont think that Hill or AJ are myths, outside of that the rest of them are maybes, and I assume that Gresham isnt coming back. I think we have enough players on the team to get to the playoffs, it's winning in them that I find questionable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Got to get through Brady and Patriots. I hope they win this weekend and maybe get all fat and drunk during the offseason. Manning retires that old goat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_B Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 I just don't think anyone on offense (or even defense) really played to their best level. Breaking down the O... Passing game- I just don't see any way the passing offense is worse than last year unless we get demolished by injuries again. You had your top target missing a third or more of the year, number 2 guy all yeat, and your potential top Te and 3/4th target missing all year. I just don't see that happening again. And I think they go out and get some better depth in case that does. Id be willing to bet good money our passing O is better next year than in 2013. Run game- if hill stays healthy our run game should be better too. Once we went to hill as the number one guy our run game was one of the best in the league. Oline- whit you could say probably won't be better in 2015 than he was in 2014, but the rest of the line should improve. Bodine will be better with more experience. Oline played pretty well though so I guess that is the only part that could regress but I don't think it will. Once again none of this means we are gonna win a playoff game, just that our o should be better in 2015 than in 2014. There ya go. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 We could be the Houston Oilers of the late 80s/90s. Good teams, Good seasons. No Superbowls. IMO, after you watch a head coach and QB choke playoff chances you don't sit around hoping it gets better. That's what we've done and what they will ultimately have to overcome but I think we'll probably be thinking back to those Warren Moon led Oiler teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Outside of Peko, and Newman our defense isnt really THAT old, and I thought Dre K played well enough in Newmans place, I also like Illoka. As far as Geno and Taz, way to early to tell if they will be the same or not and I agree if they are not it does impact the D, but even so the D is still decent enough to win without them. I also dont think that Hill or AJ are myths, outside of that the rest of them are maybes, and I assume that Gresham isnt coming back. I think we have enough players on the team to get to the playoffs, it's winning in them that I find questionable. My point is our best and most reliable players on defense are getting old. That would be Hall, Jones and Newman. Atkins might return to form, I seriously doubt Burfict will. Peko and Rey M are not getting better. I can't envision our defense being better next year. We all know AJ and Hill are players, the rest of the skill positions are question marks besides Sanu who ghosted on us the second half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scharm Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Bottomline: the answer isn't to just spend money in free agency but also get big impacts from whatever free agents they do get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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